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7IHd
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:27 pm
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Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:16 pm 
 

Of course I know what metal sounds like, and can identify whether most bands have elements of metal in them or not, but as far as quantifying what makes music metal as opposed to hard rock, I am much lacking. Basically, I have several questions. What are the essential components of metal? What separates metal from often related -core and hard rock? Does anyone have any good definitions of a broad overview of metal?


Also, on a related note, something struck me as tremendously off about the definition for metal music on the free online dictionary:

"Very loud, brash rock music, often with shouted, violent lyrics."
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/heavy+metal

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Lord_Jotun
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:36 pm 
 

A retarded definition of what Metal is from an online source - how shocking :lol:

This is one of those debates that could go on forever, because different people will draw the line (which is very thin and blurred to say the least to begin with) at different latitudes.
For one, it took me a long, long time to figure out why most people accepted Black Sabbath and Deep Purple (obviously starting from the Mk2 days) as bona fide Metal bands, but not Led Zeppelin. While I don't necessarily agree with such conclusions, I can now at least see where they're coming from.

Metal is not just a way of playing (something that most outsiders obviously don't get, since everything with loud distorted guitars has been mislabelled as Metal over the past 2-3 decades), it's a feeling that creates the music and at the same times is created through the music. Like every other form of art, music is way more than the sum of its parts and Metal is no exception; it's one of those things that are easier understood than explained, if you catch my drift.

To bring back the aforementioned example, I can see that Zep may get close to Metal because of the way they perform their music, while both Sabbath and Purple have on their side both what they play and how; to make a ridiculously generalizing simplification, it can be said that LZ were still stuck to the genre's primeval blues rock roots, while Sabbath, which emerged from the same background, had already taken it to the next level, with something more personal and all around "different".
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probert
Metalhead

Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:44 pm
Posts: 447
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:40 pm 
 

pointy guitars

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AppleQueso
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:48 pm 
 

probert wrote:
pointy guitars

Image

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Aurone
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 3:17 pm
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:49 pm 
 

Heavy Metal I feel is what it is because it's Clay, it molds to you. If you want music that's about blood and slaughter, Cannibal Corpse. If you want music about Beer, Korpiklaani. If you want music about Satanism, Gorgoroth. If you want music about War, Slayer. If you want music about Lord of the Rings, Blind Guardian.

Where as most stuff you have to change to it, the music to some degree changes to you. Not completly granted, but to a level it does. Don't know if I get heet or not for this, but this is how I view Metal as.

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7IHd
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:27 pm
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Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:50 pm 
 

Lord_Jotun wrote:
A retarded definition of what Metal is from an online source - how shocking :lol:

yeah, I know, right? I just thought that it was rather humorous, since it's one of the first ones that pops up on google when searching for a definition of metal music.

Lord_Jotun wrote:
it's one of those things that are easier understood than explained, if you catch my drift.


Oh, I know exactly what you mean, which is why I had asked the question of course. I've found one of the hardest lines to draw is the line between progrock and progressive metal. For example, bands like Tool and King Crimson are progrock, but Dream Theater and Rush are considered progressive metal, which I've never been able to discern the exact dividing line between them.

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darklordofstuff1
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2009 3:14 am
Posts: 16
PostPosted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:51 pm 
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLe1G7WBNkE
^
This, 10 mins of epic cheesy LoTR's power metal

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7IHd
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:27 pm
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Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:54 pm 
 

Aurone wrote:
Where as most stuff you have to change to it, the music to some degree changes to you. Not completly granted, but to a level it does. Don't know if I get heet or not for this, but this is how I view Metal as.

Not sure what "heet" is, but I do agree that metal is very malleable and can be whatever the artist makes it, which is one of the thing's that's so great about it. I love to hear how far it can be extended and still be metal, like folk and avant-garde, and all the variety in between. That's what draws me to it. But what I'm more asking is the common thread, the meat of what metal is. What is the "clay" (as in your metaphor)?

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Aurone
Metalhead

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:08 pm 
 

7IHd wrote:
Aurone wrote:
Where as most stuff you have to change to it, the music to some degree changes to you. Not completly granted, but to a level it does. Don't know if I get heet or not for this, but this is how I view Metal as.

Not sure what "heet" is, but I do agree that metal is very malleable and can be whatever the artist makes it, which is one of the thing's that's so great about it. I love to hear how far it can be extended and still be metal, like folk and avant-garde, and all the variety in between. That's what draws me to it. But what I'm more asking is the common thread, the meat of what metal is. What is the "clay" (as in your metaphor)?


That clay not only conforms to you, it breaks boundrys in the process. Look at some big metal bands and fans. It breaks races (all of them, White, Black, Jewish, Muslim, Hispanic, Native American, Oriental) all both in the pit and on stage. There's people who're either Straight or Gay (or both) in metal, both in the pit and on stage. You'll find almost every religous beliefe in Metal. All ages are in it. Both Genders are in it.

That reverse molding attracts people who in a lot of other situeations, would simply be pushed apart. This does the axact opposite, it unites. You don't know how many times I've been in the pit and surrounded by fans just like me and just feeling like the world is gone.

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Lord_Jotun
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:14 pm 
 

7IHd wrote:
For example, bands like Tool and King Crimson are progrock, but Dream Theater and Rush are considered progressive metal, which I've never been able to discern the exact dividing line between them.


Good call, considering Rush are another borderline case. King Crimson... well, like Zep, the Metal portion was only one of their many, many influences, and probably not predominant enough.
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7IHd
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:21 pm 
 

Yeah of course, metal isn't just for the stereotypical "metalhead" which explains also the diversity of the music produced by metal bands. There are all different tastes in metal and people who like all kinds, but again, this doesn't really serve to answer the questions posed, haha.

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probert
Metalhead

Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:44 pm
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Location: Canada
PostPosted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:27 pm 
 

Lord_Jotun wrote:
7IHd wrote:
For example, bands like Tool and King Crimson are progrock, but Dream Theater and Rush are considered progressive metal, which I've never been able to discern the exact dividing line between them.


yeh, IMO king crimson is more "metal" (heavier for sure) than rush (love em both) but rush is on the archives and KC isnt..

tool blows colon and doesnt belong anywhere on this earth.

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7IHd
Metalhead

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:29 pm 
 

Lord_Jotun wrote:
7IHd wrote:
For example, bands like Tool and King Crimson are progrock, but Dream Theater and Rush are considered progressive metal, which I've never been able to discern the exact dividing line between them.


Good call, considering Rush are another borderline case. King Crimson... well, like Zep, the Metal portion was only one of their many, many influences, and probably not predominant enough.

Yeah, generally, I'm not too concerned with genres anyway, but I've always considered Rush progrock along with Tool and King Crimson, but Dream Theater to be progrock/metal depending on the song/album due to the heavier riffs that they often include along with some rather metal-sounding solos. The strong and heavy drum beats and bass also lend toward a metal classification at times.

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Goatfangs
58.2% Metal

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:35 pm 
 

Metal has several unifying factors that unite most bands.

First, riffs. Metal bands must use riffs. Riffs must be played by a guitar that is distorted. Not just any riffs... Slipknot, Korn, Dillinger Escape Plan and Atreyu all use riffs, some of those riffs are metal, most are not. The way the riffs are strung together, the way the riffs are themselves played (Stroking your dick on a guitar with distortion does not make a riff) must be in a metal style. Sunn O))) play riffs, just very slooow riffs. Dark Angel play very fast riffs. Psyopus play riffs consisting of cat scratching a guitar while fucking the frets in a style completely unrelated to metal (but partially influenced by tech-death).

Punk bands play the guitar in a particular style. Watch some Youtube videos of any sort of punk-rock based band, whether it be The Ramones or Bullet for my Valentine, and you'll see they do a particular strumming. It resembles the way most acoustic guitar players play their instrument.

Metal bands often use a gallop in their riffs, their strums are much shorter. Sometimes they will use a strum like the one described above, but usually those are during choruses. I can hear Manowar doing this a lot, but the way they do it compared to a punk band doing it is still distinctly different in a metal vs. punk sort of way.

Second, composition. There are bands out there that will string 50 genres together in one big rope. I've heard The Birthday Massacre play metal riffs. Sum 41 played metal riffs. Neither of those bands are metal, not only because they don't identify with the metal scene, they sparsely play metallic-style riffs. A metal band plays metal riffs most of the time, many bands include an acoustic interlude or some rock and roll, some do metalcore breakdowns, some go into jazz or other progressive territories, some go folk... etc.

Third, identity. Metal is an identity. You can tell a metalhead from a scenekid. Most metalcore bands, including most on this website, do not identify solely with metal, they appeal to hardcore fans and scene-kids. Take Full Blown Chaos for example, they play thrash metal, but they still identify more with the Hatebreed crowd than the Kreator crowd. There are many bands that identify with more than one scene. Jucifer (while not on this site) identifies with the stoners, punks, indies, metalheads and fans of Sunn O))). The Gloominous Doom in personality (apart from musicality) identify with punk, oldschool hardcore fans and metalheads.

I go to shows that play mostly metalcore acts. I go to shows that play mostly metal bands, and I go to shows that play a mix of punk rock, indie and metal bands (I call the DRP crowd). There is only one person that I've seen at all three types of shows, and it's this guy in his 40s that frequents death metal shows and hardcore shows who calls himself "Death Metal Jeff".

Fourth, there is a philosophy in metal that is loosely adopted universally by the metal scene. Respect everyone around you, it's what I see coming from every single metal band I have seen. Even the douchebag ones. I still see them show some sort of respect. Other examples include one band loaning another band a bass or snare drum because their bass or snare drum broke and they don't have a spare lying around. This has bled out beyond just the metal scene, one particular example is the -core band A Day Once Dead (who term their music "Touch Yourself Core"), every time they play a show and another band has equipment failure, this band is the first to step up and lend a hand (and a guitar, bass, whatever). I also see it from Tim Lachman, who identifies with metal and hardcore pretty much equally (He plays in Dissian and What It Takes, which are metal and oldschool hardcore respectively)

This is the best I can explain it. It's from my point of view. It's not perfect, but it is certainly better than fucking Wikipedia that describes metal as "a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness", which is accurate for most metal bands, but can also be applied to Bullet for my Valentine, Slipknot, A Day to Remember and Rage Against the Machine.
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5ealchris
Metal newbie

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 12:25 am 
 

Quote:
True Metal
For us Metal is absolutely NOT only the music. Neither is it only a way of belonging to a social culture group, which many people think Metal is, and they call it “the Metal way of life.” Music is only a form of expression. A language. A sort of communication. But Metal, being Metal, is representing, searching and striving for particular values. It’s for us what we guess for religious people is their religion/faith/god or whatever you call it. But we do NOT believe in any controlling providence! Therefore we don’t believe in fate. We believe in actions caused by oneself. Although we always have a certain amount of belief reserved for possible influences of spiritual character. We have our very own interpretations and general way. The key to the realm of what we call Metal is--among other things--striving for inner pureness, a romantic (which means magical) beholding of life, balance and harmony within you (but even storming thoughts can generate new aspects of awakening and progression), the general insight and by that the understanding of the true nature of things, striving for trueness and honesty which lights up and embellishes one’s and others’ way of life. True Metal as music is Metal true in spirit, theory and practice. It shall not be measured by stylistic or instrumental values, but by the content! Creating art which is in such true balance with one’s personal ideology that it almost borders on madness. This is the only way. Total consistency, but also objective judgement.


I think Lost Horizon describe it pretty well!!!
http://www.oncelosthorizon.com/aflameto ... ndbeneath/

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The_Apex_of_Collapse
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 11:29 pm
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Location: Canada
PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 12:34 am 
 

Metal is an exscuse to dress up like a viking and be accepted.


....Well, You may replace Viking with Demon, Corpse, rainbow head, or jean jacket mullet guy but all can be accepted in the great metal dispora.

And in music? More distortion and a bit more balls.

Cheers

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iamntbatman
Chaos Breed

Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 5:55 am
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 12:39 am 
 

5ealchris wrote:
Quote:
True Metal
For us Metal is absolutely NOT only the music. Neither is it only a way of belonging to a social culture group, which many people think Metal is, and they call it “the Metal way of life.” Music is only a form of expression. A language. A sort of communication. But Metal, being Metal, is representing, searching and striving for particular values. It’s for us what we guess for religious people is their religion/faith/god or whatever you call it. But we do NOT believe in any controlling providence! Therefore we don’t believe in fate. We believe in actions caused by oneself. Although we always have a certain amount of belief reserved for possible influences of spiritual character. We have our very own interpretations and general way. The key to the realm of what we call Metal is--among other things--striving for inner pureness, a romantic (which means magical) beholding of life, balance and harmony within you (but even storming thoughts can generate new aspects of awakening and progression), the general insight and by that the understanding of the true nature of things, striving for trueness and honesty which lights up and embellishes one’s and others’ way of life. True Metal as music is Metal true in spirit, theory and practice. It shall not be measured by stylistic or instrumental values, but by the content! Creating art which is in such true balance with one’s personal ideology that it almost borders on madness. This is the only way. Total consistency, but also objective judgement.


I think Lost Horizon describe it pretty well!!!
http://www.oncelosthorizon.com/aflameto ... ndbeneath/


Cool story, Hansel. Way to not describe anything at all.

Honestly, the Wikipedia page gives a pretty good description of the musical qualities of metal.

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Zelkiiro
Pounding the world with a fish of steel

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 12:56 am 
 

The_Apex_of_Collapse wrote:
Metal is an exscuse to dress up like a viking and be accepted.


....Well, You may replace Viking with Demon, Corpse, rainbow head, or jean jacket mullet guy but all can be accepted in the great metal dispora.

And in music? More distortion and a bit more balls.

Cheers

Yeah, no.
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circleofdestruction
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:15 am
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 1:18 am 
 

To add on to what Goatfangs said about riffs, I think a main distinction is that metal is more guitar-based. Compare it to pop music with guitars: the pop music would use chords mostly, the guitars are mostly background and pop has more melody in the vocals. Metal would have riffs and distorted guitars (usually) and most of the melody is contained in the guitar parts. This is obvious in say, black or death metal, but even in metal with more melodic vocals the guitars are still front and center. From a music theory point of view, the chords and modes used in metal are different than in pop or hard rock, and hard rock tends to sound more blues-based.
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okram_09
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 4:56 am
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Location: Australia
PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 3:32 am 
 

I think metal in general is heavily influenced by classical and blues too. To me thats what mainly seperated metal from psychadelic rock and hard rock.
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The_Juggernaught
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Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2009 4:45 am
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 4:14 am 
 

This is a question that's puzzled me too, more specifically the line between Hard Rock and Metal, where that Rock band got just a bit heavier and became metal.

Firstly, its composition is important, riffs, galloping, solos, distortion, these are things that metal pretty much must have to set itself apart.

The "aggression" is something I can see slightly, most metal seems to have some sort of raw energy or power, though I wouldn't call it loud music for angry people myself.

Lyrics are usually about death, war, devastation and horror, although I don't feel they are that important, songs like "Victim of Changes" by Judas Priest have lyrics that basically make it seem like a love song, and yet it remains as one of the best songs the Metal Gods ever did.

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MOTGLchris
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2008 2:08 pm
Posts: 207
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 4:23 am 
 

7IHd wrote:
Of course I know what metal sounds like, and can identify whether most bands have elements of metal in them or not, but as far as quantifying what makes music metal as opposed to hard rock, I am much lacking. Basically, I have several questions. What are the essential components of metal? What separates metal from often related -core and hard rock? Does anyone have any good definitions of a broad overview of metal?


Also, on a related note, something struck me as tremendously off about the definition for metal music on the free online dictionary:

"Very loud, brash rock music, often with shouted, violent lyrics."
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/heavy+metal


In some cases, the line is simply the aura given off by the band. Especially in traditional metal. However, in more complex forms, I can see a definate leap from blues-based pentatonic scales. Metal is almost an offshoot of jazz in that sense-complex scales, with double-flat roots, or other oddities of the like. There are subtle music differences that make a whole world of difference from rock.

As for the deathcore difference, I've found that the emotion conveyed is the main difference, as well as the fact that death metal is far, far more technical and all around more well-written.

Deathcore tends to borrow from that hardcore "brutality" aura, using aggressiveness in the music to give off a "hardass" impression. Conversely, in death metal, the music becomes aggressive with an ominous effect.

Because music is essentially about emotion. Thus, when's one emotional backing for writing the music changes, the sound itself changes. Even when it is so subtle we can barely tell the difference, the aura is interpreted in our brain in ways we can't understand.

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Axel_Sikth
Metalhead

Joined: Wed May 07, 2008 9:30 am
Posts: 872
Location: Hong Kong
PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 7:55 am 
 

Goatfangs wrote:
Punk bands play the guitar in a particular style. Watch some Youtube videos of any sort of punk-rock based band, whether it be The Ramones or Bullet for my Valentine, and you'll see they do a particular strumming.


Ehh what? BFMV? Punk rock-based? The rest of your post was good, but erm, you're rather off here.
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NecroFile
Metalhead

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:09 am 
 

Emo/metalcore is derived from hardcore punk.

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Axel_Sikth
Metalhead

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:20 am 
 

If you mean emo as in "Sunny Day Real Estate, Fugazi-emo" and metalcore as in"Integrity, Botch, Ringworm-metalcore", then you're right. If not, you're probably wrong.
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termitejr
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2003 9:07 pm
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Location: Iceland
PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:37 am 
 

probert wrote:
yeh, IMO king crimson is more "metal" (heavier for sure) than rush (love em both) but rush is on the archives and KC isnt..


agreed, i think king crimson have a very heavy sound and atmosphere that any metal fan could appreciate, however i think it would be a push to call them metal.

NecroFile wrote:
Emo/metalcore is derived from hardcore punk.


thanks for the pointless input. you do know that pretty much most metal is partly derived from hardcore punk, bar purer stuff like power metal or straight heavy metal?

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ThrashTilDeath3
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2004 9:16 pm
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 9:01 am 
 

Metal has a certain "chaos" about it. Apart from that, how long is a piece of string?

If you hear metal, you will know it's metal. It's difficult to put into words. Drumming style is typically a red flag indication, as well as the guitars. You don't hear metal drumming in any other genre of music (except for some crappy metal off-shoots), yet you hear other genre's drumming show up from time to time in metal. And no other style of music has riffs like metal.

If I had to narrow it down to one element, I might say drumming. When you hear metal drumming, there's a fairly certain possibility that you are listening to metal.

Of course there is no "one element" that magically turns music into metal, but riffs and drumming are pretty good indicators.
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Nintendevil
Metal newbie

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 12:14 pm 
 

The_Apex_of_Collapse wrote:
Metal is an exscuse to dress up like a viking and be accepted.


....Well, You may replace Viking with Demon, Corpse, rainbow head, or jean jacket mullet guy but all can be accepted in the great metal dispora.

And in music? More distortion and a bit more balls.

Cheers


I would sig this but it's way too big........


Metal, in my opinion, is an aggressive root of rock and roll. However, it cannot be a root of alternative rock, or hardcore. This leads to such and such and all that, (you know what I mean), however, metal can carry influences of this.
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Scrabsy
Metal newbie

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 7:08 pm 
 

Nintendevil wrote:


Metal, in my opinion, is an aggressive root of rock and roll. However, it cannot be a root of alternative rock, or hardcore. This leads to such and such and all that, (you know what I mean), however, metal can carry influences of this.


See, I would call metal the 'theatrical' (for lack of a better word) offspring of hard rock as opposed to aggressive. Punk was always the aggressive child, metal became a lot more started aggressive as it became a little more influenced by punk, with genres like thrash and speed metal and, to a certain degree, NWOBHM. But all metal, in my opinion, shares this almost theatrical over-the-topness, this special kind of fantastical showmanship in the music itself and often the lyrics and performance. That's where I'd draw the line between heavy rock and metal, personally.

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AppleQueso
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 7:16 pm 
 

Personally, what I want to know is exactly what defines the gap between metal and its closely-releated bretheren, glam, metalcore, and nu metal?

Many of these agreed-upon non-metal genres fall quite nicely into most of your definitions...

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206
Metalhead

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 7:24 pm 
 

You mean we need a deeper definition than Electro-Distorted "Chugga-Chugga-Chord-Chord"?

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Scrabsy
Metal newbie

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 7:31 pm 
 

Well you could exclude metalcore and nu-metal ffrom mine quite easily, in saying that they're too "angsty" or "tuff guy" sounding.
As for glam, well I some bands fit quite nicely into what I said, but to my perception metal is mostly about the riffs and/or overall atmosphere of the song, whereas glam is generally about the choruses and big hooks. Similar can be said of metalcore and nu-metal, in nu-metal guitar parts are very textural, as opposed to the focal point, they aren't too focused on "riffs" per se, and a lot of bands put a lot of emphasis on their choruses, sometimes even employing that grunge "quiet verse, loud chorus" structure to really bring it out. Metalcore, too, is very chorus oriented, and when it's not, it's very breakdown centered. Riffs play quite a large roll in metalcore, but not the central roll and most songs in any of these genres focus far more on catchiness than building an atmosphere.

You could come up with examples that are inconsistent with my veiw, "X band isn't metal but is very atmospheric and riff-centred"," Y band is metal but isn't theatrical or atmospheric at all", etc, but it's just my personal standard.

ThrashTilDeath3 wrote:
Of course there is no "one element" that magically turns music into metal, but riffs and drumming are pretty good indicators.


Agreed 100%


Last edited by Scrabsy on Sat Jul 25, 2009 7:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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AppleQueso
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 7:33 pm 
 

Scrabsy wrote:
Well you could exclude metalcore and nu-metal ffrom mine quite easily, in saying that they're too "angsty" or "tuff guy" sounding.
As for glam, well I some bands fit quite nicely into what I said, but to my perception metal is mostly about the riffs and/or overall atmosphere of the song, whereas glam is generally about the choruses and big hooks. Similar can be said of metalcore and nu-metal, in nu-metal guitar riffs are very textural, as opposed to the focal point, they aren't too focused on "riffs" per se, and a lot of bands put a lot of emphasis on their choruses, sometimes even employing that grunge "quiet verse, loud chorus" structure to really bring it out. Metalcore, too, is very chorus oriented, and when it's not, it's very breakdown centered. Riffs play quite a large roll in metalcore, but not the central roll and most songs in any of these genres focus far more on catchiness than building an atmosphere.

You could come up with examples that are inconsistent with my veiw, "X band isn't metal but is very atmospheric and riff-centred"," Y band is metal but isn't theatrical or atmospheric at all", etc, but it's just my personal standard.


That's a nice way of putting it. Metalcore is largely fringe (I mean the "metal" in metalcore actually does mean something) anyhow so a lot of the bands could cross over to your definition.

What do you make of Drone and Gothic Metal bands?

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Scrabsy
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Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2007 4:58 pm
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 7:42 pm 
 

I've only heard one drone band (Sunn 0))) ), to be honest, it didn't really 'click' with me as metal, but they seem to be mostly based on atmosphere and they had kind of an ominous sound, almost like you'd find in a really dark, possibly frightening, build-up scene in a movie/play/game/something. So I guess they're kind of theatrical, too. Not to mention drone evolved out of doom, one of the earliest subgenres of metal. If you were to agree with my point of view, you might see Sunn 0))) as metal, but I dunno, really. Can''t comment on other drone bands, been meaning to get into some more, but I'm low on money and recently decided I didn't like downloading anymore. :P

I don't think I've ever actually listened to any gothic metal bands so I don't know. If COF count, they certainly fit my definition :p

EDIT: I thought I sounded like I was trying to be a know-it-all about drone, despite having heard one band.

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